A disk drive comprising a programmable inverting voltage regulator (PIVR) for generating an inverted voltage supply applied to a preamp is disclosed. The PIVR is programmably configured relative to the disk drive's mode of operation, including a read mode and a write mode.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A disk drive comprising: (a) a disk; (b) a head actuated radially over the disk; (c) a preamp for supplying a write current to the head during a write mode and for amplifying a read signal generated by the head during a read mode; (d) an input for receiving a non-inverted voltage supply having a first polarity; (e) a programmable inverting voltage regulator, responsive to the non-inverted voltage supply, for generating an inverted voltage supply having a polarity opposite the first polarity, the non-inverted and inverted voltage supplies applied to the preamp; and (f) a controller for generating an open loop control signal to configure the programmable inverting voltage regulator relative to at least two modes of operation including the write mode and the read mode.
2. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the programmable inverting voltage regulator comprises: (a) an inductor; (b) a capacitor; (c) a switch comprising a first state and a second state, the first state for applying the non-inverted voltage supply to the inductor to generate a current in the inductor and the second state for disconnecting the non-inverted voltage supply from the inductor to discharge the current into the capacitor to generate the inverted voltage supply; (d) a diode for isolating the non-inverted voltage supply from the inverted voltage supply; (e) a current sensor for sensing the current in the inductor and for generating a current sense signal; (f) a hysteretic comparator for controlling the state of the switch by comparing the current sense signal to a first threshold and to a second threshold, wherein: the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the first state when the current sense signal exceeds the first threshold; the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the second state when the current sense signal exceeds the second threshold; the first threshold is substantially different than the second threshold; and at least one of the first and second thresholds is programmably configured by the controller relative to the mode of operation; and (g) a voltage comparator for disabling the hysteretic comparator when the second voltage supply exceeds a third threshold.
3. The disk drive as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using current sources.
4. The disk drive as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using voltage sources.
5. The disk drive as recited in claim 4 , wherein the hysteretic comparator comprises a programmable resistor for programming the at least one of the first and second thresholds.
6. The disk drive as recited in claim 2 , wherein: (a) the switch, current sensor, and hysteretic comparator are implemented in an integrated circuit; and (b) the inductor and capacitor are implemented external to the integrated circuit.
7. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the modes of operation further include an idle mode wherein the head is parked.
8. The disk drive as recited in claim 1 , wherein the modes of operation further include a sleep mode wherein the disk is spun down.
9. A power driver integrated circuit (IC) for use in a disk drive, the disk drive comprising a disk, a spindle motor for rotating the disk, a head, a voice coil motor (VCM) for actuating the head radially over the disk, and a preamp for supplying a write current to the head during a write mode and for amplifying a read signal generated by the head during a read mode, the power driver IC comprising: (a) an input for receiving a non-inverted voltage supply having a first polarity; (b) circuitry for generating control signals applied to the spindle motor and VCM; and (c) a programmable inverting voltage regulator, responsive to the non-inverted voltage supply, for generating an inverted voltage supply having a polarity opposite the first polarity, the non-inverted and inverted voltage supplies for use by the preamp, wherein the programmable inverting voltage regulator is configurable open loop relative to at least the write mode and the read mode.
10. The power driver IC as recited in claim 9 , wherein the programmable inverting voltage regulator comprises: (a) an inductor; (b) a capacitor; (c) a switch comprising a first state and a second state, the first state for applying the non-inverted voltage supply to the inductor to generate a current in the inductor and the second state for disconnecting the non-inverted voltage supply from the inductor to discharge the current into the capacitor to generate the inverted voltage supply; (d) a diode for isolating the non-inverted voltage supply from the inverted voltage supply; (e) a current sensor for sensing the current in the inductor and for generating a current sense signal; (f) a hysteretic comparator for controlling the state of the switch by comparing the current sense signal to a first threshold and to a second threshold, wherein: the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the first state when the current sense signal exceeds the first threshold; the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the second state when the current sense signal exceeds the second threshold; the first threshold is substantially different than the second threshold; and at least one of the first and second thresholds is programmably configured by the controller relative to the mode of operation; and (g) a voltage comparator for disabling the hysteretic comparator when the second voltage supply exceeds a third threshold.
11. The power driver IC as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using current sources.
12. The power driver IC as recited in claim 10 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using voltage sources.
13. The power driver IC as recited in claim 12 , wherein the hysteretic comparator comprises a programmable resistor for programming the at least one of the first and second thresholds.
14. The power driver IC as recited in claim 10 , wherein: (a) the switch, current sensor, and hysteretic comparator are implemented in an integrated circuit; and (b) the inductor and capacitor are implemented external to the integrated circuit.
15. The power driver IC as recited in claim 9 , wherein: (a) the disk drive operates in an idle mode wherein the head is parked; and (b) the programmable inverting voltage regulator is configurable relative to the idle mode.
16. The power driver IC as recited in claim 9 , wherein: (a) the disk drive operates in a sleep mode wherein the disk is spun down; and (b) the programmable inverting voltage regulator is configurable relative to the sleep mode.
17. A programmable inverting voltage regulator for use in supplying an inverted voltage supply to a preamp in a disk drive during at least a read mode and a write mode, the disk drive comprising a head actuated radially over a disk, the inverting voltage regulator comprising: (a) an input for receiving a non-inverted voltage supply having a first polarity; (b) an output for outputting the inverted voltage supply having a second polarity opposite the first polarity; and (c) an input for receiving an open loop control signal for configuring a maximum power supplied by the programmable inverting voltage regulator relative to at least the read mode and write mode.
18. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 17 , further comprising: (a) an inductor; (b) a capacitor; (c) a switch comprising a first state and a second state, the first state for applying the non-inverted voltage supply to the inductor to generate a current in the inductor and the second state for disconnecting the non-inverted voltage supply from the inductor to discharge the current into the capacitor to generate the inverted voltage supply; (d) a diode for isolating the non-inverted voltage supply from the inverted voltage supply; (e) a current sensor for sensing the current in the inductor and for generating a current sense signal; (f) a hysteretic comparator for controlling the state of the switch by comparing the current sense signal to a first threshold and to a second threshold, wherein: the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the first state when the current sense signal exceeds the first threshold; the hysteretic comparator configures the switch into the second state when the current sense signal exceeds the second threshold; the first threshold is substantially different than the second threshold; and at least one of the first and second thresholds is programmably configured by the controller relative to the mode of operation; and (g) a voltage comparator for disabling the hysteretic comparator when the second voltage supply exceeds a third threshold.
19. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using current sources.
20. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first and second thresholds are generated using voltage sources.
21. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 20 , wherein the hysteretic comparator comprises a programmable resistor for programming the at least one of the first and second thresholds.
22. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 18 , wherein: (a) the switch, current sensor, and hysteretic comparator are implemented in an integrated circuit; and (b) the inductor and capacitor are implemented external to the integrated circuit.
23. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 17 , wherein: (a) the disk drive operates in an idle mode wherein the head is parked; and (b) the programmable inverting voltage regulator is configurable relative to the idle mode.
24. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 17 , wherein: (a) the disk drive operates in a sleep mode wherein the disk is spun down; and (b) the programmable inverting voltage regulator is configurable relative to the sleep mode.
25. The programmable inverting voltage regulator as recited in claim 17 , wherein: (a) the switch, current sensor, and hysteretic comparator are implemented in a first integrated circuit; and (b) the disk drive further comprises a power driver integrated circuit for generating control signals applied to a voice coil motor and a spindle motor.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 31, 2001
September 7, 2004
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